If you caught Barbara Walters’ Oscar night television special on Sunday then you likely saw actor Eddie Murphy address rumors that he was a “recluse.” The Academy Award nominee vehemently denied (both seriously and in a highly animated fashion) that he was simply a misunderstood “introvert” and “certainly not a recluse.”
Walters broached the subject and referenced a litany of entertainment publications, which accused the actor of being “anti-social.” Murphy responded by saying that people expect him to be as outlandish in person as he is on screen. By the end of the interview I felt sorry for the man. I can’t imagine how irritating it must be to eat a meal at a restaurant and have fellow diners expect you to morph into “Sherman Klump” or worse, “Donkey” from “Shrek.”
Now, I hear Murphy is getting flak for leaving the Kodak Theatre after losing the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Alan Arkin. The rumors became so intense that Murphy’s rep issued a comment to the media about his client’s early departure. According to Murphy’s rep, the comedian would have done the same thing even if he’d won.
“Eddie had always planned on leaving after his category was announced to spend the rest of the evening with his family,” said his publicist. He added: “He did the same thing following the Golden Globe Awards.” (That night Murphy did win.)
I highly doubt that Murphy’s rep would have felt forced to address the matter if it weren’t for a large number of websites reporting that Murphy “stormed out of the auditorium” and “left in disgust.” Two major publications speculated that the star was “a sore loser” after his name wasn’t called Sunday night. (If you believed the hype from Oscar prognosticators then you likely figured Murphy was a shoe-in for the Oscar.)
Murphy’s publicist further elaborated that the actor and his girlfriend Tracey Edmonds, didn’t make a hasty exit at all. Rather, after the couple left their seats they reportedly spent time outside the theater doors conversing with studio head Harvey Weinstein.
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